Families on both sides of the courtroom
were in tears Tuesday afternoon when a jury
found Jalen Gibson guilty of first degree
murder in the April 2017 killing of Tevin
Sitton.
The jury deliberated for a little over two
hours before delivering the verdict, in which
they also found Gibson guilty of a couple of
aggravated assault charges and reckless
endangerment charges.
Outside the courthouse, Sitton's family,
including his mother, brother and wife, celebrated
the verdict. They were all dressed in white, the
color Sitton "got married in, died in and went
to heaven in," his mother, Sherry Collier, said.
"If you really love your loved one, it don't get
easier,And we're not letting him die down. He's
going to stay in our heart.
Sitton's brother, Dwayne Sitton, said that while
the family wasn't exactly happy, they were
satisfied with the verdict.
"It's been long and emotional. We stood by each
other and leaned on each other to this day, We
made it through and got my brother justice."
Gibson's family was visibly emotional in the
courtroom. Some were sobbing as Judge Patrick
Kiniry polled each individual juror on the verdict.
In an interview outside the courthouse, Gibson's
attorney, Ryan Tutera, said he was surprised by
the verdict, since he believed prosecutors had
not proven beyond a reasonable doubt who the shooter
was.
Tutera said he planned to appeal the verdict after
sentencing, which Judge Kiniry scheduled for Sept. 6.
As they left the courthouse, state prosecutors from
the office of Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh
Shapiro said he appreciated the work of the Johnstown
Police Department as well as the conscientious work
of the jury.
"Tevin Sitton's son can now grow up knowing that
justice for his father was served," the prosecutors
said.
Hours before, attorneys on both sides made closing
arguments to the jury, who sat in the courtroom
between the families of Gibson and Sitton. There
were more than 50 people in the coutroom.
Tutera, the defense attorney, argued first to the
jury that an incomplete police investigation that
allowed contamination of the crime scene and
skipped over important evidence led to the arrest
of his client.